HR Works Podcast: What Starbucks’ RTO Policy Means for HR Everywhere: Here’s What CMP Research Says Pt. 2

Over the summer, the Senate and House passed President Trump’s “One Big Beautiful Bill Act”, enacting sweeping changes across all facets of the country, including substantial increases in funding for the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency, changes to AI policy, and many other facets that have cause anxieties among both employees and employers to skyrocket. Today, we’re joined by Amanda Czepiel (SEE-pea-ill), HR legal expert at Brightmine, to discuss the three critical areas HR leaders can’t afford to overlook regarding the passing of President Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act.

HR Works Podcast: What Starbucks’ RTO Policy Means for HR Everywhere: Here’s What CMP Research Says Pt. 2 by HR Daily Advisor

In a world still debating the future of work, Starbucks is making a bold, definitive statement. By offering a cash exit package to corporate employees unwilling to return to the office, CEO Brian Niccol is sending a clear signal: this isn't just about office policy, it's about reshaping the company's culture. For today's episode, we're sitting down with Nicole Kyle, Managing Director of CMP Research, to unpack this move and its broader implications. Kyle shares why this unprecedented step is an indicator of a hardline approach to cultural alignment, what it means for other employers considering similar strategies, and how HR leaders can make in-office time truly meaningful—not just a mandate. Check out part one of our talk below!

How can you do it all at once? It’s a question that rings in the mind of many HR professionals, saddled with goal after goal, and for good reason. The workload of HR professionals is mighty, and the deliverables are grand. Upholding a business model, supporting your people strategy, keeping up with everchanging legal issues, all while attempting to plan for the future of work—it feels like carrying an entire tray of freshly shaken bottles of Coca-Cola, waiting to explode. But what if you could work towards these goals all at once, one sip at a time? Sue Lam, VP of People Insights, Strategy, and Culture at The Coca-Cola Company and HCI Advisory Board Member, suggests to the HR world that a proper people strategy can work to help every part of the business, not just the people. Lam is set to speak at the SPARK Talent 2025 conference in San Antonio, Texas in October, where she’ll discuss how to not only align but embed your people strategy into your business strategy, and the tips and tricks on how to get there. On today's episode, HR Daily Advisor got to sit down with Lam to get an early look at her insights, and how she’s innovating just what HR can do.

In a world where consumers crave authenticity and employees demand purpose, how can HR leaders bridge the gap between internal culture and external brand? In this episode, we talk with Jill Waite, Chief People Officer of Portillo’s, about their groundbreaking Internal Influencer Program. This isn’t your average employee-generated content initiative. By empowering 15 team members to become brand storytellers, Portillo’s is fueling its marketing, social media, and internal training with authentic, behind-the-scenes content. Waite shares a new blueprint for building your brand from the inside out. You’ll learn how this program drives employee engagement, provides a cost-effective content strategy, and offers a fresh model for internal brand-building that can transform your organization’s culture and credibility.

On this special episode of HR Works, HR Daily Advisor editor Griffin Cobb sat down with Peter Lynch, Chief People Officer at Cardinal Group Companies and speaker at SPARK Talent, to discuss the "Human Advantage" and how AI is helping the workplace be more human, not less.

In today’s fast-changing workplaces, AI isn’t just a tech trend; it’s reshaping how we work, from the top floor to the front lines. But for this big shift to truly succeed, your managers are the secret ingredient. In this episode, we sit down with Julie Bedard, Managing Director & Partner at Boston Consulting Group (BCG). Bedard is a leading voice in workplace transformation, and she’s here to share why it’s crucial for HR teams to equip middle and frontline managers with the skills to use AI.

In the final part of our three-episode series, Kyla Hanaway-Quinlan, Chief Operating Officer and Head of People at Feast & Fettle, highlights how ongoing training and reinforcement ensures empathy and emotional intelligence remain sharp skills for her entire team, and provides actionable steps HR leaders can take this week to begin embedding more empathy and emotional intelligence into their own daily operations.

Welcome back to HR Works! In part two of this episode, we continue our conversation on what it means to run a successful, rapidly growing business with a truly human touch. Kyla Hanaway-Quinlan, Chief Operating Officer and Head of People at Feast & Fettle, returns to discuss her commitment to leading with empathy and building environments where everyone feels seen, heard, and valued. Listen in as she shares how her organization leverages technology to support empathetic leadership, how Feast & Fettle measures emotional intelligence, and more.

In this episode, we're joined by an incredible leader who's redefining what it means to run a successful, rapidly growing business with a truly human touch. Joining us is Kyla Hanaway-Quinlan, Chief Operating Officer and Head of People at Feast & Fettle – one of the country's fastest-growing food brands. With years of experience witnessing both the magic and the tough realities of the food and hospitality world, Kyla brings a unique perspective. As a single mother of two and a senior executive, she's passionately committed to leading with empathy and building environments where everyone feels seen, heard, and valued. Since joining Feast & Fettle in 2021, Kyla has been pivotal in scaling the team from 30 to 300 employees. Today, she's here to share her insights on how she embeds empathy and emotional intelligence into every single aspect of operations – from how they hire, to how they serve customers, and even how they navigate tough times. It's about making sure these aren't just values, but operational mandates that drive real success.